Researching Social Determinants of Health & Health Disparities

A comprehensive listing of data resources and tools from the National Library of Medicine.

Healthy People 2020 provides a comprehensive set of 10-year, national goals and objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Healthy People 2020 contains 42 topic areas with more than 1,200 objectives. A smaller set of Healthy People 2020 objectives, called Leading Health Indicators (LHIs), have been selected to communicate high-priority health issues and actions that can be taken to address them.

HCUP tools and software help health services researchers and decision makers access the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States.

The profiles provide detailed demographic, language fluency (where relevant), education, economic, insurance coverage and health status information, as well as full census reports. Includes profiles for Black/African-American Health, American Indian/Alaska Native Health, Asian-American Health, Hispanic/Latino Health, and Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Health.

Data pertaining to issues affecting racial and ethnic minority populations including housing, health, education, and income.

The NIH includes 27 institutes and centers. Each institute/center has a website that can be explored to find related data/statistics.

The National Vital Statistics System is the oldest and most successful example of inter-governmental data sharing in Public Health and the shared relationships, standards, and procedures form the mechanism by which NCHS collects and disseminates the Nation’s official vital statistics. These data are provided through contracts between NCHS and vital registration systems operated in the various jurisdictions legally responsible for the registration of vital events – births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths.

Maps > Thematic maps
Reference Shelf leads to “Demographic Profiles” and “Demographic Trends in the 20th Century”

From the Department of Homeland Security, data collected to evaluate social, economic, environmental and demographic impact of immigration laws.

Filter statistics by state and condition.

Statistics and data for diseases and conditions, injuries, and more.

Online databases for the analysis of public health data.

The Diseases & Conditions page provides information and statistics on hundreds of health issues.

Data portal for selected diseases and conditions; access to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Culled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Culled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Look at the documents in Community Health Data and Reports.

The CA Department of Public Health Surveillance and Statistics Section collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates data from local health jurisdictions on over 60 reportable communicable diseases.

America's Health Rankings from the United Health Foundation, calculated from factors encompassing behaviors, environment and community, public and health policies, and clinical care.

The nation's largest state health survey and a critical source of data on Californians as well as on the state's various racial and ethnic groups.

NHANES is program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States. The survey is unique in that it combines interviews and physical examinations.

NHIS has monitored the health of the nation since 1957. NHIS data on a broad range of health topics are collected through personal household interviews. For over 50 years, the U.S. Census Bureau has been the data collection agent for the National Health Interview Survey. Survey results have been instrumental in providing data to track health status, health care access, and progress toward achieving national health objectives.

Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Comprehensive data from the American College Health Association for indicators such as mental and physical health, substance use, sexual health, weight and nutrition, and impediments to academic performance.

Kids Count Data Center from the Anne E. Casey Foundation, includes data at the state, county, city, and district level for a variety of health and demographic indicators.

From the Trust for America's Health Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, state level information on obesity and additional nutrition related issues.

Statistics from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Includes "fast facts" and links to more specific diseases and conditions.